


Hawai'ian Holiday: Ficlets and Drabbles

by BronzeAgeLove



Category: Mass Effect Trilogy
Genre: Domestic Fluff, F/M, Ficlet Collection, Fluff, Hawaii, Interspecies Relationship(s), Interspecies Romance, Original Character(s), Originally Posted on Tumblr, Tumblr Prompt
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-11-03
Updated: 2019-07-19
Packaged: 2019-07-25 13:36:23
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 11
Words: 5,440
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16198577
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BronzeAgeLove/pseuds/BronzeAgeLove
Summary: Since my 'Drabbles' section was getting exceedingly more difficult to manage, I decided to split them up by OC groups and repost them here for easier reading- please bear with me if you've read some of these before.These are centering around my OCs Jane and Kieran after the events ofFirst Seeds, and more precisely about the six months Kieran stayed with Jane on Kaua'i in 2164 before having to return to the Citadel.





	1. Love and Music

It had all been because of the music.

Los Angeles, three days away from everyday worries, showing him her home planet. Walking the street aimlessly, unable to sleep, that hole in the wall club had somehow called out to them.

Inside, a small stage, hard industrial beats and hoarse screaming vocals echoing off a low ceiling that was dripping with condensation. The guests mostly dressed in black, writhing, jumping, moving like waves against a cliff.

On the few occasions they went out together, they always stuck to small venues. Alternative crowds tended to be more accepting of aliens. Yet even there, they never dared show affection, too much danger of offending those humans still resentful for the First Contact War.

The music went straight to their feet, loud and contagious, synching with their heartbeats and urging them on. She looked up at him while dancing, unable to hide her smile, her excitement at being here with him, at feeling so incredibly alive all of a sudden, the beat pulsing in her head and her veins. Always having to defend him against all the irrational hate was exhausting, yet he filled her with so much affection. And she took him in, his fringe highlighted in neon by the strobing lights, that streamlined turian profile she loved so much turned towards the stage in fascination. He was the one, there was no doubt in her heart. No matter how hard their future was going to be.

„Reminds me of a band we used to listen to back on Thracia“, he rumbled into her ear over the music. „ _The Hierarchy‘s Fist_. Very controversial. Our supervisors in boot camp hated them.“

She turned towards him to say something witty about his ‘rebellious past’, but in that same moment, out of the blue, he swept her off her feet, like they did in those sappy old Earth movies. She felt his mouth plates against her lips and threw her arms around his carapace in reflex, the beat pulsing all around them, carrying them along, setting their blood on fire.

A few cheers erupted from those standing close to them. Most of the audience were focused on the stage and didn‘t even notice their kiss, but right there in the middle of the crowd, infused with the beat, for a short moment they were an island of calm in a sea of movement. She tasted him on her lips, so warm, so familiar, and her heart ached with love. This was it. _The moment_. Nothing mattered right now but them, in this cellar, surrounded by strangers. And their hearts in synch with the music.


	2. Language Lessons

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rated G

From time to time, when their schedule allowed, they‘d sit down for language lessons. It was nice, hearing each others‘ voices untainted by the automated translation voiceover.

„Once more. Kaua’i. Kau-WAH-ee. Repeat.“

„No idea what you’re saying. Ka-ha-ee.“

„Try harder! Kau-WAH-ee.“

„Ka-ha-ee. You are aware that my facial structure won‘t let me articulate your words?“

„I only hear growls. Kau-WAH-ee.“

„Ka-ha-ee. Honestly, you live in the place with the worst name!“

Some rustling, as if one was shoving the other into a pile of leaves, muffled laughter while translators were switched back on.

„You won‘t get any dinner until you pronounce this right!“

„You‘re a mean woman, Ms. Bergen.“

The soft sound of kisses dotting turian faceplates.

„…and you‘re a lousy student, Mr. Artaxias.“

Laughter rang out over the beach again, one high and bright, the other in deep, rumbling dual tones.

And then, only the sound of the waves, and the wind in the trees.


	3. What She Loved About Him

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rated T

People called her strange, or sick, for falling in love with an alien. Especially one from a species humans had fought out a war with, albeit it had been a very short one, or more of a misunderstanding. Most conveyed their concerns in the way they glanced at her, a frown on their faces and that peculiar ‚you’re a poor deranged woman’ kind of look in their eyes. Some would yell insults after her, but never confront her openly. Sometimes she’d feel sad at their responses, sometimes angry, sometimes dismissive.  
  
The path they had chosen wasn’t easy, but at the end of the day, when he’d rub his forehead against her hair in order to mark her with his scent, purring gently, or she’d glide her fingertips over his fringe, marvelling at its texture, all the remorse and hardship was forgotten.  
  
And though even for her, some of his mannerisms had been strange at first, by now she loved everything about him, how he‘d sand-bathe on the beach in the morning, when he thought nobody was looking, diving into the sand like an oversized cat rolling in a patch of catnip...

The way he tore into his food when he was really hungry, ripping huge chunks from it with those sharp teeth of his and sometimes swallowing the bites without chewing properly, but at the same time knowing how careful he would be with her, in those warm tropical nights.

How, from time to time, he‘d bend down on their walks along the coast in order to collect small stones, black volcanic ones polished smooth by wind, sand and ocean. ‚For my gizzard‘, he‘d say, and look away as if it was something to be ashamed of.

She loved the way he drank from human glassware, with that peculiar tilt of his head backwards, tiny sips that reminded her of birds flocked around a watering hole, or the soft lapping sounds when he drank from a bowl.

...and especially him panting after exercising in the midday sun, glistening in the bright daylight, mouth open, mandibles slightly flared to let the heat escape, his tongue a greyish blue against the taupe of his plates.  
  
Seeing him act out his natural self filled her with so much warmth, and affection, a peculiar feeling that bloomed in her chest, in between all the regrets and darkness she kept hidden inside. Yes it was strange, by human standards, and those around her would word their concerns, or their disapproval, again and again, but she was his, and he was hers, and she wouldn‘t have it any other way.


	4. Scars

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rated T

She managed well most of the time, going through everyday life with determination and vigour.

Yet on certain days, triggered by minute failures or difficulties popping up on the way, that feeling of dread, of despair, would creep up inside her, very gently at first, and obscure her heart slowly, like snow falling on a nighttime meadow.

It was hard. She was good at keeping up this image of being able to cope with what happened all those years ago, of being strong, so nobody ever asked her how she felt. But whenever she dared open up to someone, describing these moments of darkness inside, they‘d say something along the lines of “Just pull yourself together, it‘ll be fine tomorrow“, and that hurt the most.

Sometimes she‘d be frustrated at everything around her, when lunch prep didn‘t advance as smoothly as imagined, about extranet orders that should have arrived a week ago, when her long outdated omni-tool crashed again.

On other days, she was more troubled about herself, about what she had become. And she‘d look down at her prosthetics, those _things_ that were both part of her and somehow not, for everything advanced medicine and engineering could do, the neural feedback was simply not the same. She missed the feeling in her right hand the most. Especially when she opened the latches before taking a shower and looked down at the scarred remains of her arm first and then at the carbon shell lying still on the table. That’s when she’d remember about the airlock coming down. And how she used to be, back in her ordinary life, before that day. Bored, lonely. Safe. Whole.

But here, sitting on her porch on the beach, the sound of the Pacific in her ears, where she thought she’d find peace far away from interstellar politics, from xenophobia, from all the scheming, she’d look down at two arms and two legs, two made of warm skin and flesh and two made of carbon and circuitry, and they were just… _not her own_.

Most people would shake their heads, or shrug, telling her she was lucky to have survived, that she should be _grateful_. It was a constant fight.

But then, _he_ had come back. The one she thought she had lost forever. He was different. He‘d been there, seen the chasm, he knew what she was going through because he‘d barely escaped that day, too, with his very own set of scars. Those in his soul, that wouldn‘t let him sleep at night, that would only flash up in his impossibly green eyes on certain occasions, fear and loss reflecting in them, gone in the fraction of a second. He was good at hiding his feelings from the universe. Maybe even more skilled than she was.

In those nights, when she‘d lie awake, tears rolling down involuntarily, soaking into her hair, she‘d listen to him, all the sounds he made when he was having that dream. All the tiny growls, and almost inaudible keens, his subvocal fear resonating inside her. And she‘d reach out, with her good hand, so she could feel him the way she was supposed to, and trail her fingers over the plates that covered his forehead and cheeks, feeling their rough texture, wandering down to caress a twitching mandible. And when he‘d open his eyes, first in shock, all that unspoken terror in them, before focusing on her face in the half-light, he‘d finally exhale, and extend his long arms to hold her close, without saying a word. In those moments, nothing else mattered but them, here.

Survivors.

She felt his three fingers intertwine with her artificial ones in the near dark, for that tiny bit of fake neural feedback it gave her, she appreciated the way he accepted all of her without question, and she looked down to marvel time and time again at how small her hand felt in his.

The scars would never fade, no matter how much they both wished for them to disappear, how hard they tried getting over what had happened. Yet no matter what the universe was going to hurl at them, one thing she felt in her heart- They‘d face it together.


	5. Behind Her Back

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rated M for imagery and innuendos

She knew that people were talking behind her back when she walked past. By now, she‘d gotten used to them discussing who she was.

_“Look, isn’t that the poor girl who survived the Terra Firma conspiracy three years ago?”  
_

_“Yeah. Wow she really looks her age. Must be hard, walking around with prosthetics so early in her life. See the drag in her leg?”  
_

_“Yes. Couldn‘t she have gotten more inconspicuous ones? It‘s appalling!”_  
  
She put up with it, treated everyone courteously nonetheless. Built herself a reputation of being a good host, of meeting her guests, no matter which species, with grace and honesty. She’d gotten used to the silent insults.

But now, after _his_ arrival, it was the same bullshit all over again, just a little different.

* * *

_“Look Fred, it’s Bergen!”_  
  
_“Have you heard? That alien is going to stay here! On Kaua‘i! Our island! Isn‘t there a law against that?“_  
  
_“He‘s so big! Have you seen his claws?? I mean he jogs on the beach in the morning barefooted, it‘s like a goddamn 2 meter velociraptor charging at you!“_  
  
_“God turians are scary. They can’t be trusted. What if he goes berserk one day?”_  
  
_“Well I’m sure we could take that thing down. But Bergen won’t like it…. Hey, do you think they f–”_  
  
_“Yuck! Is that even possible? And wouldn’t that be considered bestiality?“_  
  
_“I don’t know! He’s sentient, I think? But I saw them bump heads one evening, and he ran one of those massive hands down her arm and she seemed to like it. I’m sure she’s one of those xeno pervs totally into getting fu–”_  
  
_“Shhh shutup shutup–!”_  
  
She knew what fuelled their talk anew, and it did hurt. A lot. Yet she decided that every time she’d go to town, she‘d smile and put up with it. Every single time.  
  
„Good morning Ms. Imamura. Mr. Imamura. Hey Fred! Lovely day today, isn‘t it?“  
  
„It is indeed! Thanks for asking, Ms. Bergen. Hope the guesthouse is doing fine?“  
  
„Yes thank you. My new assistant’s settling in well, too. Quite a difference from living in Citadel space, he said. His residence permit’s still hanging, but he loves the climate here.“  
  
„Oh how nice! Tell him welcome to Kaua’i from all of us, will you?“  
  
„Sure, I’ll let him know!“

She‘d pay, hoist the crates of produce, and leave after some more small talk.

And she knew exactly what happened once she turned the corner.  
  
_“That nerve, lying to us so openly? Assistant my ass! The way she smiled at mentioning him? Disgusting!”_  
  
_“Hey you never know, maybe he‘s a real stud? I‘ve heard stories from an Alliance officer…”_  
  
_“Oh come on! More like no decent guy in his right mind would have her, she‘s crazy!”_

She’d sigh while blinking away a few tears, thinking about her life before all of this. Every time, she’d make her way back to the beach, and hear the sound of busy preparations in the kitchen from afar.

And she’d call his name, anticipation in her voice. She’d break into a smile when he stepped out onto the veranda, greeting her with that little scrunch of his nose and a flick of his mandibles that was so _him_.

It was hard. But she looked at him, and her heart ached with love. As long as he was here with her, she could surely put up with a little more slander.


	6. FebruarOC: Kieran

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Written for #februaroc on Tumblr.  
> Rated G.
> 
> A snippet from Kieran's life between chapters 7 and 8 of "First Seeds"

“Mr. Artaxias? Congratulations. Please follow me.“

It was a lanky salarian nurse escorting him through the hospital’s lobby into one of the patient wards, and Kieran felt incredibly out of place in his scuffed C-Sec armor in here, where everything was so white and polished and smelled of disinfectant. The news had reached him while on patrol, but he was lucky and his supervisor had waved him off with a gruff “Go, you only become a first-time father once.“

Before he could even greet his sleeping mate, a tiny baby was thrust into his hands, looking crumpled and fuzzy like all newly born turians did, dermal plates still thin and pliable, no teeth, no talons, no fringe. Vestigial down covered most of its head and neck. It reminded Kieran of that picture of a wet chicken he’d been shown years ago. On Earth, by _her_. The one he wouldn’t dare talk about, but whose loss he lived through again and again, in his dreams.

The baby looked up at him, giving a soft chirp.

“He’s got your eyes, same bright green“, he heard his mate’s tired but content voice behind him, and turned around, still carrying his son in his arms, to see her sit up in bed.

“But his mother’s good looks. I’m so proud of you.“

“Flatterer. I’ll have to stay here until tomorrow for last checks. So worn out. Looking forward to those two weeks of leave…“

She reclined into the cushions and was back asleep in seconds.

Full of vigor, the baby tried to move, then gave a frustrated dual-toned squeak when it noticed it couldn’t get away. Kieran’s mandibles twitched in amusement at the unfamiliar sound. Family life was going to be a whole new world for sure, but suddenly he wasn’t so sure anymore if it was what he wanted.

“Hey, Hadrian“, he said while carefully running one of his gloved fingers underneath the baby’s chin. The gesture rewarded him with another high-pitched chirp that somehow sounded full of hope.

Lost in thought, his heart heavy, Kieran clutched the newborn to his breastplate, staring out of the window overlooking the Presidium. He knew he was supposed to feel happier. It was his child, after all. Yet in between all the pride he felt for his mate, in between everything he had accomplished in the last years, and all the love that he had received, there was a void inside of him, something missing. He’d gotten used to the emptiness being there, but the fact it came back into focus right now, and with such force, worried him a lot.

Because that empty space was Jane-shaped.


	7. FebruarOC: Jane

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Written for #februaroc on Tumblr.  
> Rated G.
> 
> A glimpse into Jane's world during First Contact

_We are not alone._

The news about First Contact came during a boring shift, while she’d been processing immigration requests.

_It’s war!! They’re huge, and dangerous. We have to protect Earth. Mobilize Alliance troops!  
_

A few months that civilians in Sol system spent in fear of _something_ _evil_ crossing the Charon relay, all the while stories from Shanxi flashed over the vid screens, of heroic troops fighting against the alien aggressor.

Jane, trapped in her everyday life, lonely and numb, didn’t really know how to feel about it. Life went on for most humans, the conflict was so far away. She was fearful, to a certain extent. But most of all, her heart ached at the promise of other places, wonderful worlds to explore, and the First Contact had been the spark igniting her imagination.

The war passed quicker than expected. Galactic council stepped in, and suddenly, the Milky Way was this place full of life, so many species living together in relative harmony, so many worlds inhabited, all that new information and technology flooding the markets! Wonderland for those who could afford it. All the while, Earth kept turning. Everyday life went on. Reparation payments were made, grudgingly, humanity invited into the circle of spacefaring species, Earth connected to the galactic credit markets.

Jane got an omni-tool, a very basic model, that she had to keep clipped to her wrist like a watch. A far cry from those streamlined implanted things the Alliance brass liked to flaunt. She commuted up to the terminal in orbit every day by herself, changed into her uniform, passed her boring shifts dreaming about beautiful alien worlds she knew she’d never be able to see. She felt more lonely than ever, in a universe that had suddenly gotten much bigger. The most exciting thing that happened to her in 2158 was getting to meet asari and salarians, she found them quite affable. But she never thought she’d meet a turian, them, so spiky and proud. _The enemy,_ many humans would say for years to come.

And never would she have imagined that one day she’d fall for one, that eight years after First Contact, every night she‘d sleep accompanied by gentle, dual-toned snores.

It had been humans against turians in the beginning. Now, here on her little island, sometimes it felt more like Jane and Kieran against the rest of the galaxy. But in the end it didn’t matter that much. They were in it together.

_I am not alone._


	8. Beauty Treatment

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rated G
> 
> From a Tumblr Drabble Challenge List. No. 48: "I didn't think you could get any less romantic"

“One ‘Intimate Togetherness’ Mineral Mud Treatment please.“

Booking a beauty session up in the mountains with your partner was -usually- not a very big deal. A little bit more if it was a posh spa on Earth, the year was 2166 and your boyfriend a big turian, and you promised to show him how human couples bonded.

All business, Jane smiled at the receptionist while she observed his facial expression turn from ‘polite activity’ to ‘intently friendly’. Nobody had outright refused to take care of Kieran yet, but Jane knew staff only put up with them because they were going to spend quite a lot of credits on this beauty treatment. Inwards, she felt a little sorry for the spa staff- one turian (maybe their first interstellar guest) and a woman with extensive prosthetics were definitely not the most everyday of customers.

“Sir I thought this through. I can detach my arm to protect the circuitry, and my companion here will be fine as long as he doesn‘t get anything into his mouth or on his mucous membranes. He‘ll be fine with the fango. It’ll keep his plates shiny and prevent flakiness. Oh and I want all the trimmings and decorations please.“

“Of course. One second.“

The receptionist gave a nervous smile before excusing himself to the back room where they heard some heated argument take place.

“Should we leave? I don‘t want to cause trouble“, Kieran rumbled into Jane‘s ear, in a very low voice.

She chuckled. „No way! I kinda want them to suffer a bit? It‘s not a big deal, and it‘s not as if I asked them to give you a massage, I doubt they got the equipment for _that_.“

Finally, they were escorted to the treatment room by two young female massage therapists dressed in white. Both looked a bit disgruntled, and their faces slipped into a look of shock for a split second when Jane and Kieran were asked to take off their clothes and lie down on the massage couches; Jane casually popping the latches on her prosthetic arm, putting it aside as if that was the most normal thing to do before methodically wrapping the joints of her right leg with cling film in order to protect the seams and circuitry, while Kieran made a show of undressing very slowly, exposing his plated chest and carapace. By now, he knew exactly how to flaunt his size and features to get maximum response from humans not acquainted to aliens. Not even their furtive glance down to the seam in his pelvic plates went unnoticed. His demand for a big pillow to prop up his head was accommodated quite quickly after that.

As always, beauty treatments were fantastic. Jane loved going to the spa; even more so since she usually didn‘t have the time nor money for it. As she lay there feeling the warm fango being applied and massaged into her skin, then being wrapped in foil and a warm blanket, she couldn‘t suppress a content sigh. _Heaven_. Going back to Switzerland for a short holiday over New Year was definitely worth it- even if it put a strain on her finances and people were giving her and Kieran strange looks. She couldn‘t refrain from opening one eye a tiny bit and glancing over to where Kieran was lying on his stomach, keel bone padded by the cushion, the massage therapist working dollops of dark green mud into the gaps between his plates. Her facial expression was a bit sour. Most likely she hadn‘t signed up for pampering big purring aliens by spreading huge amounts of fango all over them.

„All set“, the lady said to Jane when she was done applying the face pack, with a strange twitch to the right corner of her mouth. It seemed she had troubles wording the standard phrase she was used to. „We’ll let you rest for thirty minutes. Take your time to relax, enjoy the... togetherness. We’ll come back and lead you to the showers, afterwards you're free to, uhm, enjoy the private spa and sauna.”

Feeling safe and cradled, swathed in blankets, Jane turned her head and took a long, hard look at Kieran. She knew she wouldn‘t win the beauty pageant herself right now with only one arm and her artificial leg wrapped in foil plus all that green goo on her face, but she couldn‘t contain her laughter when Kieran shot her a sour glance, the mud already gone crusty on his facial plates, flaking off his brow whenever he moved a little.

„Dear, you’re really ugly with that mud crust on. Like the swamp creature!“ Jane managed to say in between giggles.

Kieran chuckled at her remark, trying to struggle out of the mass of blankets he’d been wrapped in but to no avail. The therapist had made sure he was covered perfectly. Relaxation was the key. Jane heard him stifle an irritated growl.

„Hey, I thought this was a supposed to be a romantic getaway, showing me how human couples bonded, but all that happened was that I paid quite the sum of credits to let myself get wrapped in a squishy straightjacket by a surly looking woman and on top of everything, you compare me to a monster? I didn‘t think you could get any less romantic, actually.“

Seeing his doubtful expression, Jane couldn’t help but laugh. „Stop complaining. We’ll wait until we’re freed by the grumpy ladies and then enjoy beautifully soft skin and shiny plates? The smoochy part will follow later. Private bathing in termal water, nice hot sauna with fragrance infusion... you'll love it. And I'll make sure you get your dose of romance, ok?“

He inclined his head a little, as well as he could, one irritated mandible twitching in a futile effort of getting the mud off. When he spoke up, mischief vibrated in his subvocals.

„Sounds like a good plan. But next time, let's do the one hour couple's massage and scrub? I kinda want to give the massage therapist an aneurysm at seeing me naked and figuring out how to knead _my_ shoulders."

"You are aware that emotional torture isn't legal? And now lie back and relax", Jane replied with a giggle. "That's an order."

"Yes ma'am."


	9. Dogs don't wear clothes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rated G
> 
> From a tumblr drabble prompt list. No. 47: "Dogs don't wear clothes"

It was a universal truth that turians had a hard time getting human idioms right. Their efforts of “blending in“ by constantly making up their own didn’t make the fact any better.

“Ok ok, but how about ‘like a dog in a suit’ to denote something impossible?“ Kieran asked.

Shaking her head, Jane chuckled at him. It was the third time today he tried his hand at creating new figures of speech, with moderate outcome.

“Kieran, dogs don‘t wear clothes. And we got that saying already in different variations. We say ‘when pigs fly’ or ‘like snow in summer’, depending on our mother tongue.”

“But the dog one is funnier! I like dogs.“

Jane patted his knee. “I know you do. How about this- you stop making up new idioms nobody understands, and we adopt a dog? You could put it in a suit on special occasions.“

“Very funny, Ms Bergen.“

But he did stop the new idiom nonsense. And kept sending her links of dog shelters to her omni-tool instead.


	10. A Kiss in Relief

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rated G
> 
> From a tumblr drabble prompt list: A kiss in relief

Evenings like these, with few guests and even fewer things to do, were sparse. They took every chance they got to sit on the weather worn porch, enjoying each other’s company while listening to the sound of the pacific waves on their doorstep.

Running her fingers over the rugged wood in an absent-minded manner, Jane was sipping on a soda. Lost in thought, her chin propped in one hand, she only looked up when she heard Kieran approach and squat down near her. His purr was a calming background noise melting into the sound of the ocean, so familiar and dear to her. When the wind picked up, bringing the acrid smell of paint thinner with it, she realized he had poured himself a small vial of turian brew. The bottle of booze was one of his most prized possessions and was only opened on special occasions. Though the extranet proved to be invaluable in this regard, it was still expensive to get dextro food and daily necessities on Earth. They definitely didn’t have extra credits to spare on luxury goods. On top of that, Jane had sworn to herself not to touch one drop of alcohol ever again. She’d spent too much of her life drowning worries in whiskey.

“What’s with the drink?” Jane asked with a quirk of her right eyebrow. “Got something to celebrate?”

He gave a low chuckle, or more of a rumble, that started deep in his chest, before cocking his head to one side, the lighting from the torches affixed to the handrail casting the plates on his cheek and his fringe in a golden light.

“I don’t know? Just seemed like a good idea.”

“Hm. You’re a shitty liar.” Jane leant over to trace the cream-white markings on his cheeks with her right hand. “Come on, tell me?”

Kieran caught her hand in his, dipping down to brush his mouth plates against the smooth carbon of her prosthetic. He liked doing that, lavishing her with small attentions, as if he was still feeling bad about leaving her behind all those years ago and had to catch up on endearment.

“I got a mail today”, he said then, gazing out over the beach and the dark ocean. “A reply from Honolulu Spaceport. As soon as my residence permit comes through, I can start working.”

Jane looked at him, her eyes widening in surprise as she tried processing the news. _Finally something positive._

Her heart overflowing with relief, she cast her bottle to the side and jumped Kieran, kissing him square on the mouth, making them both topple off the veranda onto the beach, like two teenagers suddenly aware of their feelings. Soda bubbled over the steps, seeped into the sand, underlined by the sound of the waves, and overjoyed squeals.

 _Things were looking up on their little patch of earth_.


	11. Accidentally Sleeping In

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rated T
> 
> From a tumblr drabble prompt list: No. 27: 'Accidentally Sleeping In'

It was warm and cozy when Jane woke.  Cradled in Kieran‘s arms, she felt safe, everyday worries far away.  
It had taken them quite a few attempts to find a position that was comfortable for both of them, but if they lay on their sides and she scooted back against him, his arms around her, it worked remarkably well, even on the single bed in her former childhood room.

She heard Kieran grumble something in half-sleep and snuggled closer until her head was nestled under his chin. This was the perfect moment…  
  
…New Year, too. She hadn‘t been home with her parents in three years, and it was a beautiful feeling, as if she was again ten years old and cuddled under the covers during those two blissful transition weeks between Christmas and the next semester of school, when nothing really happened and the whole world was in food-induced heaven. Her mind comforted in pink cotton wool, she let her imagination drift, listened to the tiny sounds Kieran made while sleeping, all his subvocal purrs of cosiness, the ones she recognized as the ones he showed her his love with.

It was a perfect moment, until someone started banging on the door.

"Jane get up! It’s 11.20. You know how much Grandma hates us to be late! I tried waking Kieran but he didn’t answer the door."

Jane’s eyes flew open. New Year’s lunch at Gramma’s. Damn!

"Shit!“ She shot up, the top of her head colliding with Kieran‘s jaw. He gave a startled chirp at being woken so abruptly but rolled over to the other side, almost shoving her off the bed.

Jane braced herself with her one arm, then twisted around and started shaking his shoulder frantically, eliciting a grumble from him. On the few occasions he wasn’t troubled by nightmares, Kieran slept incredibly deep.

"Shitshitshit! Kieran, we need to get ready! Mom said we‘d leave at 11.30!“  
  
His answer was a purr, unheeding the second, more urgent knock.

"Coming, Mom!“

Cursing, Jane hopped on one foot, wrestled on her panties and tanktop with one hand before scooping up her prosthetic and connecting it with its socket with practiced ease.

By now, Kieran had cracked one eye open, blinking at her sleepily.

"Look inconspicuous, will you?“ Jane said to him, then threw the covers over his head. There was no way to hide a turian his size with only a couple of duvets, but it was the effort that counted.  
  
"Dear, you‘re not thirteen anymore,“ his muffled voice came from under the blankets. "Why can‘t you let them see we‘re together?“  
  
"Because it‘s my parents! They’re… complicated. I can‘t go ‘Hey dad, by the way, I‘m banging a turian‘. He‘ll get an aneurysm!“

"Girl, are you ok?" her mom’s voice rang up again, this time sounding more doubtful.

Oh well, now or never.

Jane sighed, then yanked open the door, greeting her mother in all her unkempt, early-morning glory.

"Mom… Mornin’. We’ll be ready in five, I promise. I‘ll explain later.“  
  
And with that she tore down the hallway to the bathroom, slamming the door shut, leaving her mother standing in the entrance dumbfounded- and faced with a big, naked turian struggling out of the mass of blankets he’d been covered with.

Kieran cleared his throat.

"Happy New Year, Ms. Bergen. You have a lovely daughter,“ he said, as dignified as possible, his mandibles twitching as he watched her facial expression go from mildly confused to openly appalled.

Oh, it was going to be an interesting year.


End file.
